Previously, ‘She Is Ready to Run, First-Time School Board Contender Paspalis’
If first-time candidate Kathy Paspalis needed a confidence boost going into her formal coming-out party yesterday afternoon, she received it without even uttering a word:
A majority of the School Board she proposes to join welcomed her to the Sunset Park home of two of Culver City’s best-liked hosts, Madeline and Paul Ehrlich.
If further affirmation were desired, the Ehrlichs — and their headline attraction — drew a capacity crowd to their happy, people-dense property across the street from El Marino Language Immersion School.
Enough elected officials were roaming loose in Ehrlichville to form a quorum and change the City Charter, or any other document they fancied, down, up or sideways.
Somebody might have turned City Hall upside down, there were so many familiar personalities milling through Mrs. Ehrlich’s kitchen and whatever part of the house her husband may claim.
Almost everyone had an opinion about Ms. Paspalis’s shiny new candidacy. Some smiling visitors, however, demurred. They told the newspaper they were passing through on a curiosity trip, still making up their minds who they will or won’t support in the November election for three open School Board seats.
The Field So Far
Besides Ms. Paspalis, Karlo Silbiger, Roger Maxwell and Robert Zirgulis, as of this afternoon, had pulled papers with the County Registrar’s office.
Brashly charming Steve Gourley of the School Board was the first guest to serve up an opinion on Ms. Paspalis.
“I am supporting Kathy,” said the second-year Board member, “because I think she brings common sense and energy to the board of directors of the School District.”
Question: Since Ms. Paspalis and you are both attorneys, has that coincidence influenced your opinion?
“Can’t hurt,” said Mr. Gourley, quickly attaching a caveat. “There are many times when I would be the first to say lawyers are not good managers, not good people to have in there, having in any position.
“This, however, is not one of those positions. This is a position that can use legal analysis, that can focus on what needs to be done, on what can be legally done, and then go after the county, the state and the federal governments, try to make them accountable and still understand what their purpose is.”
Question: Many people say that since you and Scott Zeidman, both lawyers, were elected to the School Board two years ago, together you have taken charge of the Board. Regardless of whether that assertion is true, if neither of you were an attorney, could you have achieved as much?
“One of the things you accomplish as a lawyer is being a psychologist. That is part of your duty as a lawyer. You learn how to bargain. You learn how to deal. You learn how to deal with difficult people, and how to marshal your allies.”
In a further sampling of opinions:
Mayor Andy Weissman:
“I am supporting Kathy because she is a good person who cares about the schools.”
Contrary to Mr. Gourley, Mr. Weissman, who also is an attorney, said Ms. Paspalis’s legal credentials did not influence his choice “in the slightest.”
“It does not matter what the person’s vocation is. For me, it is about the person. Kathy has been, right across the street, with El Marino’s Learning Center. I know she is committed to doing everything she can to make the schools successful. In this environment, when the governor and others are taking whatever they can from the schools, we need people who are creative, enthusiastic and who care.”
Former City Councilman Alan Corlin:
“Kathy Paspalis the only logical candidate. She is the candidate with the most experience and education. She is a candidate who has my total support because I think she is running strictly for the betterment of our schools. She has kids in school. She has been involved. She is not just all talk the way some candidates are. And she can listen.”
George and Michael Laase, community activists:
“We are here to listen to Kathy, not necessarily to support,” said Mr. Laase. “We are looking for common sense. When I heard she was running, and I found out she was lawyer, I asked, ‘Do we need three lawyers on the School Board?’”
Profession aside for the moment, Mr. Laase said he wants to be certain Ms. Paspalis brings his notion of “common sense.”
Jeff Cooper, candidate for the City Council:
“I am here to support Kathy. I am not here as a candidate. This is not about me today.
“I just met her last Wednesday when we went to lunch. When I got to know her, I was impressed with her knowledge, her strength, and her keen ability to dig in, identify the essence of an issue and find a solution.”
School Board member Scott Zeidman:
“We want a reasonable, hard-working, intelligent person on the Board, and that is Kathy.
“I have been one of the driving forces behind her deciding to run.
“She is my first and best choice for this position. I think she will be one of the best School Board members Culver City ever has had.
“She is practical. She is hard-working, and she has an ability to listen, and she can learn.”
Mr. Zeidman as asked if it was difficult convincing Ms. Paspalis to run for the School Board.
“About 12 months,” he said.
About an hour along at the Ehrlich family reception, Ms. Paspalis stepped to a platform at the entrance to Mrs. Ehrlich’s kitchen.
The Star’s Turn
Some in the crowd knew that Ms. Paspalis, an East Coast native, has lived in the Los Angeles area for the past 22 years. The candidate herself wanted everyone to know her campaign’s email address is paspalisforschoolboard@earthlink.net, freshly created.
These scenarios often can be awkward in a gosh-gee whiz kind of way, but Ms. Paspalis handled it deftly.
She held handwritten index cards in her left hand so that she would hit the right notes, and from the cheering, one can judge she did.
While Mr. Corlin and Mr. Gourley, two fun-loving grownup boys, played oratorical ping-pong in the background, she showed she could parry with the wise guys and the big guys, cracking about the “Culver City intelligentsia” to the audience’s delight.
“Through the budget crisis, I intend to protect the high educational standard we have,” Ms. Paspalis said. “It’s going to take a lot of
creativity, intelligence and teamwork to get that done.
“We also need new ideas, a new look at the ideas and cogent decision-making. We need to work with the City Council to get through this budget crisis.
“I promise you no one will work harder in making that happen than I will.”
Ms. Paspalis estimated her campaign will need to raise $15,000 to bring a successful conclusion in a little less than 4 months.
